Linderhof

Gardening, Cooking and Decorating on the Prairie of Kansas

Welcome to Linderhof, our 1920's home on the prairie, where there's usually something in the oven, flowers in the garden for tabletops and herbs in the garden for cooking. Where, when company comes, the teapot is always on and there are cookies and cakes to share in the larder.

Friday, May 11, 2012

Silver and Gold -- A Tale of Two Cakes

It's strawberry time and there are strawberries in the herb garden at Linderhof . . .

To be picked easy in the morning and eaten soon after for breakfast.

But there are more strawberries on the prairie and we went to a strawberry farm and got a "flat" of them!

With the glut of strawberries on Monday, we made --

The angel cake in mother's cake holder

A homemade from scratch angel food cake. Angel cake goes so well with strawberries. It's perfect to soak up the strawberry juices -- the juices made by letting the strawberries sit on the counter sprinkled with sugar --

I've never made a "from scratch" angel cake although my mother always did -- the mixes were too easy to use . . . but a conversation with Friend Cynthia made me wanted to try one. And I do remember as a child sitting in the kitchen watching mother mix the cake.

But it does use 12 egg whites which means that you have 12 egg yolks . . . so what do you do with them?

You do what my mother did and the day after you make an

eggy sponge cake.

Both cakes are good served in a deep bowl, with the strawberries and their syrup and topped with whipped cream and another berry. It is heaven -- strawberries and cake for that short time that fresh local strawberries are available.

It is Mother's Day weekend . . .

And as a homage to my mother, I baked both cakes in her angel food cake pan. A pan that is far older than I! I've used it a lot since I got it (it was part of my inheritance) but always pound cakes, coffee cakes -- that sort of thing -- never an angel cake -- until this week!

And the cakes -- both of them -- were kept in mother's cake holder -- as a child any and all cakes were always stored in that cake holder -- the Jewel Tea cake plate stays in the holder in the cupboard for it always was!

Both cakes are simple and I was surprised at how easy (and good) the angel cake was and the sponge is a great cake as well -- it was also a great tea cake (when I had tea in the garden!) But then I like simple cakes.

Growing up, as spring follows winter and day follows night, so does the sponge follow angel food. It's the way it is supposed to be!

MOTHER'S ANGEL CAKE

(The Silver)

2 cups sugar

1 1/3 c. cake flour

1 1/2 cups egg whites at room temperature

3/4 t. salt

1 1/2 t. cream of tartar

1 t. vanilla

Preheat oven to 350

Combine 1/2 cup of the sugar with the flour and sift them together 4 times. Set aside.

Place the egg whites, salt and cream of tartar in mixer bowl and beat with whisk attachment about 1 minute. (until soft peaks form) Add the remaining 1 1/2 cups of sugar by sprinkling it over the egg whites. Beat on high speed for a few minutes until thick and shinny. Add the vanilla and continue to whisk until very thick, about 1 more minute. Sift 1/4 of the flour mixture over the egg whites and fold it very carefully into the batter with a rubber spatula. Continue adding the flour in 3 equal additions, sifting and folding until it's all incorporated.

Pour the batter into an ungreased 10 inch tube pan, smooth the top, and bake it for 35 to 45 minutes, until it springs back to the touch. Remove the cake from the oven and invert the pan on a cooling rack. When cool, run a knife around the cake to remove it from the pan.

17 comments:

Both cakes look beautiful and your mother's cake plate and cover is such a special piece. A wonderful way to honor the memory of your mother. The Sponge cake looks like a recipe that I have been looking for, it's the texture. I will be making that soon, probably as you did prior to making an Angel Food cake. Assuming, of course, that the Angel Food cake should freeze well. Loved your post.

These both sound good cakes, I've heard of Angel Food cake but never had it - it's a definitely American kind of cake. The start of the recipe sounds very much like making meringue, I think I may look for a tube pan and have a go.

Martha,That is a good use of the eggs yolks. I know of a sweet lady here that has 13, yes 13 children and she wastes nothing. I used to work with her on night shit as a nurse and I love to hear her tell tales of cooking in her home. Her mother also raised 13 children and they had a system to feed the large family. They always saved the egg yolks when making angel food cake and froze them and later and made homemade noodles. I thought that was so smart. This is also a great use of the eggs. Waste not want not and so on. The cakes look delicious! My kids really liked the blackberry tea. Now I want to try it with other fruits. Sherry

These cakes look wonderful! Angel food cake is one of my all time favorites. It's so light! I had forgotten about sponge cakes...my mom used to make them all the time...until she discovered Cracked Sugar Cookies...which use 3 yolks per batch. These became her favorite...and to this day, at 93, she still makes these cookies for all her friends.

Martha, for all my years of baking, I have never made a homemade angel food cake, either. Of course, I've made lots of sponge cake, but you've inspired me! I love your tea in the garden. I did make a sponge cake roll of my Mother's in her honor, if you would like to check it out.